SPOILER FREE
Let me start by saying that going into this film, I wasn't a huge fan of the popular television show, only catching glimpses of it occasionally on television. As someone whose a fan of the show reviewing this movie, I am not the most reliable person for a review comparison between the show and the movie. As someone whose a genuine lover of movies and will give different genres of films a chance even raunchy comedies, I will be honest about my feelings towards the film while separating it from the television show I was never a die hard fan of. Upon hearing about the release of a Baywatch movie, I questioned the reasoning behind it as I felt the time had long passed since the show ended and when the movie should've came out. Hearing that Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron are the main leads in the film along with it being Rated R caught my interest even though I was still very hesitant of the final product. Despite the many nasty reviews the film received from critics, I decided to give the film a chance and see for myself whether its really that bad or just a fun and silly film that never should be mistaken as serious filmmaking. Having seen Baywatch now, I can say that the film for the most part is fun, but not necessarily a good movie.
Baywatch is a film that exists for one specific purpose which is to entertain it's audience by providing raunchy and edgy laughs for fans of the show or those who are fans of both lead actors. Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, are a fun pair that work very well together chemistry wise while providing a solid rivalry turned partnership. One of the things that I noticed from the old show while catching glimpses of it is as campy and cheesy as the show came off as being, it was full of charm and heart. Both are severely absent from the movie and the film is replaced with raunchy humor that's either hit or miss as it can be genuinely funny or too forced. Baywatch as a film doesn't offer audiences anything in regards to being deep-thinking or philosophical except some decent laughs with Dwayne Johnson carrying the film on his shoulders as being the films main selling point with Zac Efron coming in a close second with a likeable performance as the brash new recruit butting heads with Johnsons character. Together the two uncover a criminal plot that ultimately puts the future of the bay at risk. Baywatch embraces camp and utilizes its R rating to full advantage presenting obnoxious characters with Johnson making his character work through his charismatic performance, although it never quite has the charm of its TV show that made it both amusing and successful in the first place. What makes both the show and the movie so appealing to audiences, is both recognizing themselves as being a parody of what generally is a silly concept that allows for the actors to have fun with the material. When the movie becomes excessive with its humor, it works as a piece of entertainment, although one can feel that the directing and story weren't given their full push, leaving it up to the appealing cast to carry the film from its shortcomings. There's something genuinely fun about the concept of lifeguards playing detective that is so cheesy and ridiculous that it makes for an entertaining comedic story, even if the final product never reaches that level of entertainment that the story poses potentially
Overall Baywatch is a mildly entertaining yet forgettable comedy, that brings the concept of the show up to speed in modern setting with the humor being raunchy and excessive to blend with todays style of humor. If one goes into Baywatch and doesn't take it seriously then the will find reasonable amounts of entertainment with it before discarding the film from memory. It is Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron that carry the film on their shoulders and save it from being a complete disaster as the script and directing never fully do the concept of the film its total justice as being fun entertainment. For fans of the show, they will either love the film or they will hate it, feeling the movie doesn't quite capture the charm and heart of the show, even with attempts to bridge the two together by having cameos with the main stage such as Knight Riders David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson. For regular movie-goers who look for an entertaining comedy, that is completely ridiculous and doesn't make you think about any thing else other than which beach you want to vacation at this summer then Baywatch is worth watching to get in the summer spirit but should be quickly forgotten about right after as its quality doesn't offer much else than harmless fun mixed with some crude humor
6 out of 10
Overall Baywatch is a mildly entertaining yet forgettable comedy, that brings the concept of the show up to speed in modern setting with the humor being raunchy and excessive to blend with todays style of humor. If one goes into Baywatch and doesn't take it seriously then the will find reasonable amounts of entertainment with it before discarding the film from memory. It is Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron that carry the film on their shoulders and save it from being a complete disaster as the script and directing never fully do the concept of the film its total justice as being fun entertainment. For fans of the show, they will either love the film or they will hate it, feeling the movie doesn't quite capture the charm and heart of the show, even with attempts to bridge the two together by having cameos with the main stage such as Knight Riders David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson. For regular movie-goers who look for an entertaining comedy, that is completely ridiculous and doesn't make you think about any thing else other than which beach you want to vacation at this summer then Baywatch is worth watching to get in the summer spirit but should be quickly forgotten about right after as its quality doesn't offer much else than harmless fun mixed with some crude humor
6 out of 10
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